Document personalization systems and methods used in producing personalized documents and other personalized identity documents have been employed by institutions that issue such documents. Identity documents, which are often personalized by such systems and methods, may include plastic and composite cards, for instance financial (e.g. credit and debit) cards, drivers' licenses, national identification cards, and other related cards and documents which are personalized with information unique to the intended document holder.
Document personalization systems and methods can be designed for small scale, individual document personalization and production. In such small systems, a single document to be personalized is input into a personalization machine, which typically includes one or two personalization/production capabilities, such as printing and film application through heat transfer.
For large volume batch production of identity documents, institutions often utilize systems that employ multiple processing stations or modules to process multiple documents at the same time to reduce the overall per document processing time. Examples of such systems are disclosed by DataCard Corporation of Minneapolis, Minn., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,825,054, 5,266,781 and its progeny, and 6,902,107. Common to each of these types of systems is an input with the ability to hold a relatively large number of identity documents that are to be personalized/produced, a plurality of personalization/production stations through which each identity document is directed to undergo a personalization/production operation, and an output that holds the personalized identity documents. A controller is typically employed to transfer data information and instructions for operating the input, the personalization/production stations, and the output. As with small scale document personalization machines, batch production systems also include, for example, capabilities for heat transfer printing of images and heat transfer application of the images to an identity document.
Improvements may be made upon existing personalization/production stations, namely heat transfer printing and application modules. Particularly, improvements may be made on such modules that can provide increased throughput and efficiency. The technical disclosure described below can provide for a system of personalizing identity documents by printing images and applying them to the identity documents, where module timing and positioning may be improved, and while minimizing image and web material waste and document rejection.